Blog Challenge Day 22: BDE III

Best Day Ever! Snip Bits from our Wedding day: The Ceremony

The last post of Best Day Ever! left you with my bridal party and I enjoying our limo ride to the church.  As we pulled into the parking lot, I could barely believe that we were there and that this was really it.  Honestly the ceremony is such a blur of emotions to me.  I don't really remember it specifically but I do vividly remember the feelings, emotions and senses I felt during it.  I got out of the limo onto my red carpet and heard the excited voices of my two sorority sisters who were still outside the church handing programs to the last few stranglers to arrive.

 I will never forget the looks on their faces when we walked past them to enter the church by the side entrance as to not be seen.  They were filled with joy and excitement being the first ones to see my in my dress and be there for my special day.  And then of course one of them whipped out her camera :)  Upon entering the church, the reality of the situation really hit me.  Everyone was there ready to begin.  I saw some of my family for the first time that day and was feeling very excited but getting nervous for the actual ceremony.

I was never nervous about getting married but the thought of being in front of all the most special people in my life saying my vows did give me some butterflies in my stomach.  After of few minutes of sorting out flowers and getting my grandmother into her seat, it was time for us to line up.  Of course being at the back I smiled at each of my girls as she began he walk down the aisle.  For a moment I felt like I might cry but was able to compose myself.  Our usher and a mutual friend of one of my bridesmaids shut the doors and waited for the cue.  "Here comes the bride."  After a moment of confusion of which chorus I was actually going to start walking on, they looked at me, asked, "ready?" to which I took a deep breath, smiled and nodded.  They both smiled back, opened the doors and I was instantly flooded with sights, sounds and smells which had before been muted behind the white double doors.  I remember it feeling warm and inviting,  I remembe smelling the burning candles and seeing all the beautiful gold light they had created.  I remember seeing all the people standing, watching me as I emerged from the foyer which had apparently become flooded with the afternoon sun behind me when the doors had been opened.

After a moment, I began to walk (far too quickly, I think) down the aisle.  I don't really remember the walk too well as I was concentrating on 1) smiling 2) trying not to run down the aisle and 3) not tripping and falling.  Once I made it to the end, I saw my husband looking extremely calm and happy which made me feel instantly relaxed and ready to get married!

As we exchanged our vows I remember having the most intense feeling of happiness I think I have ever felt.  Our pastor was so wonderful and brought so much joy to the ceremony which really translated what I was feeling.  I remember feeling so overwhelmed as I was making those sacred promises to my husband that I nearly began to cry because I couldn't believe I was finally saying those words.  I remember squeezing my husband's hands so tightly and nearly jumping up and down when the pastor finally announced that we were married! Waiting through a prayer for our special first kiss was so difficult for me.  But it was worth everything.  And then that wonderful moment after the kiss when we held hands to tightly, smiled at the pastor, smiled at each other, smiled for the camera and finally to all our family and friends as were announced as husband and wife.

 It is honestly so hard for me to convey into words how it felt.  As we walking back through the tears, smiles and applause of our family and friends, I remember thinking I couldn't believe it was over so quickly.  So many years of waiting, so many hours of planning and just like that we were married and I was overwhelmed with joy.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Best Day Ever!

Thanks for reading.

BC22-8/20

Blog Challenge Day 14: BDE II

Playing catch up today.  I was having a lot of trouble with blogger yesterday so after finally getting the day 13 post published, I was definitely done with the program. 

Best Day Ever! Snip bits of our Wedding Day: Get me to the Church on Time!

In the first post of this series within a series, I left you when I was just returning to the hotel after some quiet time with my mom.  As soon as I arrived, I knew quiet time was over because the craziness of getting 6 women ready for a wedding had begun.  You know the scene in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" when Nia Vardalos' character gets up the morning of her wedding to find her ENTIRE family in her house and when they see her, they all start screaming and she is engulfed in a sea of blue tulle, make up and hairspray?  This is essentially what happened when I walked into the room (minus the sea of blue tulle.)  Mind you, I had our photographer, Lindsay Vigue with me.  Luckily she fit right into my group of girls and disappeared into the background taking photos and enjoying our silliness as we got ready.  Although my make up and hair was already done, all my girls were helping each other and getting themselves dolled up.

I spent this time stuffing my face with any food I could find (as we had planned to order lunch but completely forgot), adding even more bobby pins to my hair and giggling with my girls.  Before I knew it however, it was time for the big moment.  It was time to (hopefully) get me into THE dress.  While I had been gone, my dress had been hung above one of the beds and had become a picturesque background for everything that was going on below.



I think it is always a bride's worry that somehow that all important, special dress won't fit when the time comes.  Even though I went to multiple fittings and knew that my body hadn't changed since the last one, I still held my breath and said a little prayer as the girls zipped it up.  Luckily it fit perfectly and just as comfortably as it had before. 

Once the dress was on, the reality of the situation truly began to sink in.  I knew that once I stepped into the limo, the wedding I'd been planning for a year and a half and had been looking forward to for almost a decade would actually be beginning.  It's a strange feeling, knowing you are about to experience the culmination of something you've put endless amounts of time and effort into.  However I didn't have too much time to reflect on that because our limo had arrived!  Ready or not, it was time to get married!

The nice part about staying a little bit away from the church was that although we had had a marathon afternoon of getting ready, the ride to the church was a nice breather.  I felt so blessed to get to spend that time just before walking down the aisle with my bridal party.  Of course all jitters were put aside with jokes and giggles.  The sense of humor each of my girls is one of the many reasons I chose them to be apart of my bridal party and of my life.  Planning a wedding and then following through on all the plans is stressful. Having women by my side who not only helped me in every way they could but also kept me from feeling any stress to make sure I was able to really enjoy my special day was incredible.  I could never thank each of them enough for their priceless friendship.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Best Day Ever!

Thanks for reading.

BC14-8/12

Blog Challenge Day 12: BDE I

Best Day Ever! Snip bits from our Wedding Day: Good Morning! Good Morning!

I can’t believe its been almost a year since the best day of my life. We’re celebrating our first anniversary on Sunday so this is the perfect time to start my newlywed series. Here’s the thing, get ready, I’m about to blow you’re mind. Because of the amount of material I have on this wonderful subject, I’ve created a series within a series. Bah-Boom (that was your mind being blown) I know it’s a lot to handle but you’ll thank me later. I am naming the series within the newlywed series “Best Day Ever! Snip bits from our Wedding Day.” And this is the first installment aptly named “Good Morning! Good Morning!” And make sure you’re singing that like the song in “Singin’ in the Rain.”  And since the title of the the series within a series was getting entirely too long, I figured I'd spare you a ridiculously long link and include it in the body of the post.  You're Welcome :)

I know everyone says it but my wedding day was definitely the best day of my life. Hands down. Even though it has only been a year, the day has become somewhat of a blur of memories and emotion. Just like everyone also says, it goes by so quickly especially if you don’t take those moments to “take it all in.” I do have wonderful fragments of the day in my mind and paired with my amazing photos by Lindsay Vigue , they make the most beautiful memories. Wedding planning is honestly very stressful and something that I never want to do again for myself. So when we were in the homestretch in the days of planning, I was truly ready for it to be over and be sitting on the beach in Mexico. However, when the day finally came, all the stress melted away (thanks to our wonderful family and friends who took such good care of us) and we were really able to enjoy celebrating our marriage.

The day began in the best way: with laughter from my closest girlfriends and me. I remember hearing one of my bridesmaids getting up from her bed in our hotel room, immediately walking into something and then shouting in pain which gave us all the giggles right away. Luckily she was unhurt and we all stayed in bed a little while longer gabbing and giggling the way girlfriends do.

The lighthearted atmosphere continued on as my best friend handed me the veils she donned at her own wedding and I skipped down the street to the hair salon waving them in the wind. I feel so blessed to have a friend who will let me get married wearing something she wore on her special day. What a wonderful “something borrowed” and something that strengthens our best friend bond even more.

As my nerves were starting get the best of me a bit at the hair salon, my other best friend busted in the salon full of positive energy (as usual) with bagels and mimosas in tow. Perfect timing. She is always late but always comes at just the right time.

After hundreds (literally) of bobby pins and pounds of hairspray, I was lucky enough to be able to spend some quieter time with my mom while her hair and my make up were attended to. Looking back, I’m so thankful for this extra time in a ridiculously tightly scheduled day. Because upon my return to the hotel, all the craziness the comes with getting six women ready for a wedding had begun.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Best Day Ever!

Thanks for reading.

BC12-8/10